And Then She Smiled
by Kicho-Keynote
Summary: Cool as a cucumber—calm, cool, and collective. That is, until he meets her. He meets her and suddenly, all composure is thrown out the window.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Cool as a cucumber—calm, cool and collective. That is, until he meets her. He meets her and suddenly, all composure is thrown out the window.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

Pt. 1

It started so simple. Like the first of the cherry blossoms to bloom come spring—soft and budding, a little curious towards the warmth against the cold. Like the thawing of the snow that managed to hold up until then, the kind that slushed and slowly started to drop. Like the wind that carried out the scent of winter and gradually brought in a spring breeze, dusted with just a hint of the coming cherry blossoms and fresh, green grass decorated with patches of flowers waiting anxiously to bloom. Simple, like the man that stepped out to the balcony of his new apartment to take a breath of fresh air, to accept spring for the 29th time thus far, and to inevitably run into his neighbor, a girl with long browning limbs that wrapped around her torsos gingerly, who also wanted to watch the first of the spring winds blow in. Simple, like the first polite greeting between two people, two strangers. Just. Simple.

But then she smiled.

She smiled and all of a sudden, nothing seemed so simple anymore. The cherry blossom buddings were rapidly sprouting, desperately trying to grow faster and touch the sun with its hungry limbs. The snow was falling, no longer drooping, and splattering into big puddles of slush on the sidewalks and streets, quickly melting against the heat that demanded its immediate exit, refusing to allow it to lazily pass time by any longer. And the wind that smelled like spring—that felt up the both of them—picked up her scent eagerly and shoved it to his face. Then he felt…things. Nothing new. Just…too soon. Much too soon for their first meeting.

"The weathers really nice today isn't it?" she asked.

He flinched back a little—not enough to be seen—before he turned uncertainly and stared off into the distance. There was an empty park that he was sure would be filled with people come noon, and a clutter of houses scattered around it. The sky was still red against the rising sun, and what little warmth that was present was almost swallowed by the shadows that surrounded them. But the wind that brought the cold, carried with it a twinge of warmth that was very welcome against the last of winter. She shivers against this and wraps her arms tighter around herself before he finally answers her.

"Hm." He grunted. She listened regardless. "It is."

That was it. That small exchange was all that they spoke to one another.

Her spell was cast…and she didn't even know it.

The next time he saw her, she was bringing some guy into her apartment. When their eyes met she blushed, giving away her intent, but greeted him nonetheless. He nodded her way before looking at the guy who stood behind her. He seemed like he was trying to not look at him for whatever reason. But once their eyes met he refused to look away. Taken aback a little, he nodded his greeting to him to hide his surprise. Not many people can look at him head on and not lose their composure, especially other guys. But he guessed that someone that strong had to be her boyfriend since she herself didn't back down when he looked at her.

"Just getting home?" She asked as she fiddled with her keys. She had her backpack on, so he assumed she was returning from school. The guy—that bastard—didn't even bother with a backpack. He wondered if he took school as seriously as she did. He wondered if he took anything serious. If he would take her serious.

He knew he would have if given the chance.

"No." He answered, pulling the keys back and pocketing them. Though honestly, he wouldn't want anything more than to just sink into his bed and forget the stress of working at his job. "I was about to head out, actually…Studying?" He asked as he looked over the guy once more. This time he looked away to smirk while she blushed and moved a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"Mmhmm."

He looked them over once more before nodding his goodbye and walking past them. He gave the guy one more look-over, but the jackass couldn't even be bothered enough to notice his threatening eyes. He was too busy watching her backside.

He felt something red bubble in the pit of his soul but decided to not act against it. From what he could tell, she was a growing young adult. He remembered being like her, not wanting to listen to anything anyone said to him about making better decisions in life, in love. He remembered the lessons he learned from those mistakes. Though he would do anything to warn his old self against them, he still held them close as valuable lessons. So, it pained him to think this, but he knew he needed to not interfere with her love life…even if he as dying to do so.

Besides, it's not like they were close. The only other time they talked was when he had just moved into the place. They shared maybe ten words collectively and said nothing else to one another. It's been months since then. The cherry blossoms that he wanted to watch bloom with her had already sprung and showed the world their lustful beauty before falling into the waters and grounds below them. His chance to get close to her then was long gone. Whatever spell he might have cast on her to make her remember him was long gone and replaced with her lust for something new in someone new while he was left sitting there, always watching her back, still clearly under her own casted spell. It would be childish and weird if he tried to do something to prevent that guy from entering her apartment alone when they hardly knew each other.

So, he left. He turned away and left the two of them to their own devices. Maybe he would haul himself in an internet café until he was sure they either calmed down or he left.

She spoke to him first the next time they ran into each other. Their conversation was small again. Simple in the way that reminded him that they were still technically strangers. However, he had worked on his conversational skills thanks to Lee and Naruto. And now, every answer he gave, gave her opportunities to continue the conversation.

It was from this that he found out how melodic the sound of her laugh was. It was something that bubbled in the back of her throat, whining to a crescendo before making its debut. He found himself smiling whenever she laughed and was always sad to see her hide her wide smile behind her hand.

"What is it that you do?" she asked outside of their respective places. Neither of them even bothered to pull out their keys yet. "I always see you dressed so nice. Even your car is fancy."

"It's not that fancy," he mumbled, looking over the terrace, "is it?"

She smiled at him and—again—he felt his breath leave him. It took all his energy to keep from admitting his feelings right then and there. "You know," she added, completely unaware to what she was doing to him, "I don't know your name."

He cocked his head at her before turning to put his key in the lock. Many times, he wondered how he was going to get her name out of her. From the name plate above her mailbox downstairs he could tell that her family name was Manai. It was rare and he liked the sound of it when he spoke it aloud, but it was never enough. He wanted to know her given name. He thought up many different ones that he felt was befitting for her but none of them could come close to the real thing he was sure.

"Oh?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, jumping at him. Her hand, small and demanding despite never reaching him, shot out, swatting at the air between them to stop his actions. "We've been living next to one another for months now"—five months. He counted—"and neither of us know each other's names at all. Isn't that weird?"

"Weird and devastating." He thought.

"I mean, I read that your surname's Hyuga, right? But I thought it would be weird to just call you like that when we never properly introduced each other yet…" she paused then, tucking her hair behind her ear again, "I thought it would make you uncomfortable."

It wouldn't. He thought. Not at all. But he was glad she didn't call him when she found out since he wasn't sure that he would be able to keep his composure against that sudden attack.

If only she knew what she does to him…

"My full name is Hyuga Neji." He answered, eagerness dripping unnoticeably from every word he managed to say. He could hardly hear what he was saying with how loud his heart beat was. "And to answer your previous question, I work for a company downtown. I don't know if you've heard of them since it's kind of new in business terms. It's called HNH."

"HNH?!" She near screamed, launching at him. This time she took him in her hands, grasping at his wrist tightly but not enough to warrant concern. However, before he could take in the warmth, before he could fully process that her skin was against his, she took her hand back and hid it behind her before pulling it back and tucking hair behind her ear again.

A part of him wondered if she would do that even when her hair was up. The other part took note of the tick. Filed it right under the cute folder.

"Sorry."—For what?!—"It's just…we talk about that company all the time in my Strategic Communications class. All good! All good things! It's a common company that gets brought up when we talk about good crisis management tactics."

"Ah, you're talking about that thing with one of our sites being compromised some years ago?"

She nodded, taking a step closer when she saw him face the door again. He tried his hardest not to smile at the obvious signs of her not wanting him to leave yet.

"I was still in school when that happened. Now they're talking about it in classes. Makes me feel old."

She smiled—again!—and he finally faced her, taking his hand off the door and giving her his all. She didn't step back like he thought she would and held her ground. Her arms waved leisurely beside her as she tilted and rocked on her heels. "You're not old, Hyuga-san."

This was it. He thought. This was the perfect time to set some goals, to take down the barriers that were built between them. He didn't care what may come from his request, didn't care how it might affect their conversation. As long as he could change the pace they were walking together, he didn't care.

"Call me Neji, please." He insisted. And, just for added measure. "Hyuga-san is what they call my elders."

She bit her lip, looking over him once more before nodding and turning to her own door. "Then call me Tenten, please."

He dared himself. "Tenten san?" the name danced on the tip of his tongue, dying to be said again, but he held back because he didn't want to sound like someone desperately trying to get her attention.

"I call you yours you call me mine?" she asked, twisting her hips with her hands behind her back. He couldn't help but follow the movements before finally looking at her face again. "That way it'll be fair."

 _Fair_. He laughed, surprising even himself when the sound left him. In front of him, he could see the color of her eyes shine then drop, hiding the tint of surprise almost too soon. He was sure she didn't think she would ever hear him laugh. No one does since he doesn't give off the feeling.

"Okay, then, Tenten san."

She smiled—Gods she smiled a lot—before turning her key and opening the door, being the first to signify the end of their conversation. He had a feeling she was always going to be the one who would end their talks. "Okay, then, Neji san."

He smirked, liking the way his name sounded coming from her and watched as she left behind the doors, closing him off yet again.

It was the start of her second semester when he remembered that she did, in fact, have a boyfriend. He met him again outside their respective places. She was walking with her backpack sloppily tossed behind her and he was trailing behind her. He had let his hair grow out some, but it was sloppy and unkept, and he smelled like cigarettes and alcohol despite it being only 3 in the afternoon.

The last time they met like this she blushed at being caught inviting a guy into her apartment, but this time she fixed him with an unsteady gaze that shifted in unease. She looked back at the boy that followed her before she turned and started unlocking the door, nodding her hello at him. But something in her stance, in her demeanor made him speak to her first.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking back only momentarily to the guy that stood his ground—still—under his gaze. "You look pale."

She looked up at him, smiling something fake and completely placid. This was not her usual smile. "I'm fine." She lied. He knew she did.

"Hm." He looked back at the guy again, and, this time, he was met with his profile. He looked away. Was he threatened? Was he finally realizing the difference in them? Either way, he didn't like the atmosphere. He knew he shouldn't get involved in her life when they barely got to know each other past their names, jobs and their sense of humor—and that last one was iffy—but he be damned if anything happened to her while he was aware. "Do you need anything? I was going to go to the grocery store in downtown."

Her eyes brightened at this. She looked back at her boyfriend quickly before looking back at Neji with hope in her eyes, the kind that begged him to notice it.

He did.

"Ah, right!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together before turning on her heels and facing the boy behind her who was now looking between the two of them skeptically. "Neji-san said he would take me to the store today. I really needed…some things…" she pushed hair behind her ear again then took the key out the door and quickly threw it into her backpack before stepping behind him. "We…we need to reschedule today I guess."

"What?" the guy hissed, taking a step closer.

Neji didn't know if it was because he couldn't read the atmosphere or if he thought he was just that powerful, but the kid actually dared him. He actually tried to wretch her from behind him. He barely got his hand out though before it was swatted away—much rougher than he had intended might he add.

"She said she needs to reschedule."

He looked at him, sizing him up once before turning on his heel, smacking his lips and leaving. Mumbling something about her giving herself up to whever or whatever. Neji stood his ground, protecting her until he was sure the jackass was down stairs and making his way off the premises. It wasn't until then did he face her.

She didn't look at him, deciding instead to stare down at the ground with an unreadable expression on her face. Seconds, maybe minutes passed before she finally noticed that he was staring at her. When she looked at him, she fixed him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. And it hurt. It hurt him to see that expression.

"Sorry." She said. "I…we broke up a while back and…he was just suddenly outside of the complex and he was so loud. I didn't want anyone to complain or anything so I just…Anyways, I'm sorry."

He took her into his arms, hugging her, before he could stop himself.

For a second, she froze against his sudden action. Her hands went up almost instinctively when he approached her, but they were now laying flat against his chest, putting in no effort to push him away. He thought to let her go not long after but when she relaxed against him, resting her cheek against his chest, he found it hard to even begin to pull away.

"Thank you." She sighed against him.

His breath hitched. "Anytime."

She kissed him once. It was quick and sheepish and sloppy in that drunk kind of way, but she kissed him nonetheless. It was three in the morning when he met her and her friends outside their complex. The cab was filled to the brim with girls he hadn't met before but heard through the walls.

One of the blondes was skeptical of him at first but when Tenten eagerly jumped into his arms and shouted his name they—the sober ones—decided to entrust their friend to him. Really, the only reason they called him for help with her was because of the many texts she sent him while she was out.

He knew he wouldn't regret giving her his number. It was obvious that nothing she contacted him for would annoy him, but he would never think that he would be the subject of her drunken state. However, he was glad that he was. He found her to be just that much cuter—if that was possible—when intoxicated. It made him want to protect her and her excessive usage of emojis.

They, her friends, had told him many things when dropping her off. Most of it was warnings about not touching her or else but the others were what all she had to drink and how much she could usually take. It took them minutes that felt like hours to finally leave in which neither of them offered to help him carry her upstairs but all of them seemed to dare him to try something and invoke their rage. He thought nothing of it—though he did take their threats seriously—at first, but only seconds after they left did she get rowdy, throwing herself all over him and being difficult overall.

He had just got to her door and fished her keys out of her bag when she placed her lips against his sheepishly then took them back just as shyly. She laughed after that and put a finger up to her lips like she was telling him to keep what she did a secret before she effortless opened her unlocked door and closed it behind her.

What followed afterwards was just clockwork stuff. Stuff he wasn't aware he was doing. He locked her door after realizing that she left her keys with him. Then he went into his own apartment, closed the door, locked it, took a shower, brushed his teeth, washed his face—the usual—then slowly sunk into his bed and closed his eyes. It wasn't until after sleep started to take over him did he take notice of the tingle that stayed behind after her lips left his and a wild blush took over his face.

Needless to say, he didn't get to sleep that day.

He decided _not_ to say anything to Tenten about the kiss the next day when he gave her keys back. He also decided not to dwell on it since he was sure she didn't remember nor care about it. But the main reason he didn't let it take over his thoughts was because he was afraid. He didn't like the way it took over his thoughts, how the feel etched itself onto him and seemed to redraw itself around his lips whenever he recalled the lightly chapped lips that pressed against his. The warmth took over after that. It was soft and subtle and hardly stayed for long in real time, but his mind liked to elongate the actual length of the kiss and thus, the feeling of having her pressed against him quickly, innocently, stayed forever against his skin as long as he thought about it.

He found himself shaking his thoughts away often but not enough to erase the memory for the days that followed. He was probably distracted at work for majority of the week that followed the kiss incident and even more so when he was home and could hear her going on with her everyday life on the other side of the wall. Those were the worst days. Those were the times where he let his imagination overtake him, when he began to wonder.

Hypothetically—and he really meant hypothetically! —he wondered how it would feel to kiss her. To for real kiss her. He wondered how it might feel to press her body fresh against his own, to hold her against him and kiss her as passionately as he felt for her. He wondered how she would sound when she's enjoying herself, when she's breathing without want because she didn't want to be separate from him…How would she sound, hypothetically, if she said his name, if she _moaned_ his name. How would she sound if they…

He shook his head, frantically chasing those thoughts away before things got too complicated. He looked around, glad that no one could see him all too well form his position in the office. Sighing, he got up, glad that he didn't get too excited, and headed towards the bathroom. He needed to wash his face to refresh himself and restart his mind before getting back to work.

He remembered, suddenly, how bad he wanted his own office out of the management section of the company, how hard he was willing to work to move up his family company's floors till he had his own, closed off office space. The reasoning before was so innocent. But now…


	2. Chapter 2

Pt. 2

She remembered the kiss. She remembered everything from the night before. Her telling her ex, again, that they were over. Him trying to keep here there. Her beating the shit out of him. She remembered the taste of the alcohol when she was alone and when she was with her girls. She remembered drinking more than she should have and having to ride the cab with her head out the window for majority of the ride.

The texts. There were so many texts. She deleted her ex's number, but she still remembered it by heart and seeing it bothered her, so she blocked him after the third bottle. That was when she started texting Neji-san. She remembered how he protected her from that unnecessary movie sequel of a man and how safe she felt behind him. She assumed it was because he was older than her and like the big brother she wished she had but the more she thought back on it, the more she thought otherwise. Thus, she kissed him. It was stupid quick—it happened in less than a second—and she was hyper aware of what she was doing when it happened because she sobered up the moment her lips touched his. Pretending to still be drunk after that was hard too, so she left, glad that she left her door unlocked.

So yeah, she remembered kissing him but decide to play the fool when he came by the next morning to give her back her keys. She forced herself to look at him the way she used to and not blush at the recollection. And she tried her hardest—her damnedest—to not stare at his lips, to not think about how they were soft compared to her own chapped ones.

She bit her lip, peeling at the loose skins with her front teeth, forcing herself to forget what happened. Her friends, though, had another idea all together. They reminded her for a week about her behavior that night. They upped her tolerance, they reminded her what she drunk and how much she "hated her ex" …they reminded her about drunk texting Neji-san, her neighbor, and about how unnecessarily attractive he was. Which, inevitably, brought her back to the kiss they shared, or, rather, the kiss she stole.

And it didn't help that he never brought it up. In fact, he acted like the kiss never happened, like it was just something passed between two people who saw each other as close but not close enough. Like she was his kid sister with some weird brother complex or something.

Slamming her pencil down, she turned towards the wall that separated them. She knew he was home. She could hear him when he returned, hear the clatter of his keys against something—maybe a dresser or a glass bowl—and the barely audible clunk of his shoes being placed on the foyer floor. He had a routine that she had grown accustomed to by now, and, as soon as he got home he would groan before falling helplessly on his bed that she was sure was wedged in the corner of the room. After some time, he would get up and she wouldn't hear him for some time but then he would come back—he always came back—and would lay against the wall and sit in silence. She could only imagine what it was he was doing on the other side, sitting on his bed.

Was he working still? Was he listening to music or watching tv? Does he have a tv? Maybe he watches on his phone? But he doesn't ever laugh, so maybe he listens to music instead? What music does he listen to? Probably classical. He looks like he listens to classical music. Would she be able to listen to classical calmly like him and for fun at that? But she was more into rock and R&B. Could she really listen to classical music with him…why would she even need to?

She fell forward, slamming her head against the table in the middle of her room in hopes to chase her thoughts away, but the moment she turned back to the wall and heard the light clunk of his head against it, she couldn't help the smile that came across her face.

He decided he was going to kill his crush. Not literally but figuratively. He was going to catch her when she wasn't looking and shoot her with his finger gun. It was something he did when he was in school whenever he developed a crush on a girl who was taken or a teacher. It worked usually, but he wasn't sure if it'll work on someone like her. Someone he really, _really_ liked. Still, he needed to try.

"But when?" He sighed as he locked his door behind him, laying his forehead against the frame.

There weren't many opportunities for them to run into one another to begin with, but now that exams were starting, and his schedule got busy, the chances had dwindled considerably. And it wasn't like he could shot her through the wall or anything. He needed to be looking at her for that to work. She needed to be at least ten feet away from him and in sight. But he had no idea when he would see her again and –

"Neji-san?"

He froze, face still against the frame, then turned and locked eyes with her and nearly jumped out of his skin trying to regain his composure. He cleared his throat and straightened his clothes before bowing her way. She laughed, covering her mouth, and he was sure his finger gun wouldn't work after hearing that…but he was still going to try.

"You're leaving awfully early today?" She stated as she locked her door, humming.

"Hm." He grunted, eyeing her gingerly before he locked his door. Part of him wanted to continue talking, but another wanted to end it where it was since it was already going to be hard to forget her.

"I was called in early about something important, apparently." The later part of him won.

"Ooo." She smiled, tapping her lips with her fingers. He couldn't help but follow their quick movements, letting his eyes linger on her full lips for only seconds before he looked back at her, unnoticed. "Something important? Maybe you're getting a raise? Oh! Or a promotion?!"

He smiled before he could stop himself then started walking and she kept his pace. "What about you?" He asked, keeping his eyes forward. But she danced in his peripheral, garnering his attention yet again. Honestly, he wasn't so sure about his finger gun working anymore now.

"Tests." She sighed, though the sound didn't match the giddy hops she took as she stepped beside him. "I have like two more and one paper then I'm done with my second semester of my Junior year."

"Exciting." He said, finally tearing his eyes from hers. "I know you'll do well."

"I'll do better if you gave me a ride to campus?" she asked, glancing at him from the side.

He scoffed then turned to head to his car, only waving his hand to tell her to follow him. And though he knew this was stupid and not going to make forgetting her any easier, he still wanted to hold her close. At least until he couldn't anymore.

"Todai?" He asked as she ran out before him, beating him to the car and pulling on the handle obnoxiously before he unlocked it. But he took his time and kept the keys pocketed until after he lifted his hand and made a fake gun. He held his hands there for a moment, watching her as she continued on with her antics before he smiled sadly.

"Bang." He whispered, unlocking the door at the same time and letting her in.

She slid in easily, like she belonged there then looked up at him and smiled. His chest squeezed again. His breath hitched in the back of his throat as he stood there, looking down at the girl he had just figuratively shot, the girl he just gave up on.

"She doesn't even see me as someone other than the older guy next door." He thought before smiling and heading to the driver's seat.

"West campus, please!" she chimed.

He smiled, forgetting immediately.

"Ah…" he thought as he headed out the driveway, "I need a drink."

How long had it been since he went out drinking after work? A year? Maybe longer? Before, he didn't feel the need to drink as much, so turning down his colleagues/friends' requests was always an easy thing to do, but now, in the middle of the week no less, finding someone to drink with was damn near impossible.

Lee was busy subbing for Gai sensei's junior karate classes and needed to be mentally available for today and tomorrow. Shikamaru was slumped, it being finals week and all, grading papers upon papers he was sure to fail. Kiba and Shino were available, but he made a promise to himself some years ago to never _ever_ go drinking with either of them _ever_ again. Choji was busy, aside from working he also was a father to be and the gang had already drank for that occasion so…Naruto, Sasuke and Sai—the youngest in the crew—were really the only ones left, and though he felt awkward being amongst the group of young adults—they were 22, 22 and 23 respectively, and he was 30 now—he really needed a drink.

It was the last day of classes before her winter break when she realized what the N in HNH stood for. It was said in passing in one of her classes as an extra credit question: _What do the letters stand for in the company HNH?_

She didn't know the answer, but it was multiple choice and the moment she saw: _The children of the Hyuga family; Hinata,_ _ **Neji**_ _, and Hanabi Hyuga,_ she was practically falling over in her seat in the middle of the exam. It took a lot of energy and concentration to finish after she stupidly answered that one first, and even more energy to haul ass out of that classroom and to the nearest bus.

She remembered running back after her exam, stupid mandatory class be damned, expecting to run into him when she got back. But she forgot that he was a whole adult out in the real world, working when she was at school. So, when she came to a stop in front of his place, out of breath and excited for Gods know what, she just stopped mid knock. There was no guarantee that he was there, or that he would even want to hear her childish rambling about him anyways. But she tried nonetheless.

…

No answer.

OoooO

He didn't want to admit it, but…he's been avoiding home for some time now. Partially because he hated being drunk and alone but mostly because he didn't want to see her.

Admittedly, his gun thing wasn't working. Every time he saw her he felt _things_ again. He would smile when she smiled, listen for when she comes home from hanging with her friends, and all that jazz. It wasn't until Christmas that he realized what he was doing, when he was contemplating going home for the holidays at all or just stay at his place—just in case she also didn't have anything planned.

But then he remembered—very vividly—play shooting her in the back. The imaginary bullet pierced her right through her heart, preventing her spell from ever reaching him again, and yet…the grasp she unknowingly held on him was something else.

She was trouble. He knew this when he saw her, when even the wind was on her side and persistently pushing towards his building of this one-sided crush, but even then, did he wish to get closer to her. Why did he have to get close to her! He had every opportunity to kill this before it even started and forget she even existed. Even their schedules played that path! And yet here he was, stuck! All because he stupidly drunk more of her poison, practically inhaled the fumes of her spell…just to get a taste.

He sighed, defeated. Tired. Stiff from sleeping at his friends' places on unfamiliar mattresses, couches, pillows, in some lame attempt to get away from her. And even though he had built a stronger relationship with the younger members of their reluctant gang, all of that was useless when he still felt something congenial about her. Every time he managed to see her it returned stronger and stronger until he couldn't breathe.

And it didn't help that she wanted to talk to him. She actively went looking for him, popping out of her place just as he was passing by her door. Gods did she make things hard for him.

She even wanted to talk to him when he was leaving, he could tell from the way she held herself, but, like him, her words got all caught up in her throat. He assumed it was for a different reason than his own—or more like he _begged_ for it to be because of a different reason. He hurried away from her, leaving her in the cold to watch him descend the stairs, get in his car, then leave—he was amazed to see her watching him leave.

It wasn't until he was safe on a train to Nagano did he allow himself to relax. It had been almost a year since he last seen his cousins and uncle so he figured he pay them a visit on Christmas. Unfortunately for him though, Hanabi was a strong gossip and always managed to milk something out of him about one of the ragtag people he hangs out with. She was sure to get the fact that he has a crush on someone damn near her age out of him if he let her find out.

…So he vowed to give up on her right then and there.

For real this time! He only had a couple of days away from her so he didn't have much to run on, but for those couple of days he would disregard her calls, ignore her messages. If he was lucky—or unlucky—enough to run into her here, he would pretend like he didn't know her. He was going to return to how they used to be when they first met. Awkward and still strangers. He was going to cut her off cold turkey. If going about things the way he was now wasn't going to do it, then pretending that she was an ex he should forget was the way to go. Even if it means that she may get hurt in the end because of it.

She was almost certain that he was ignoring her. Just like she was certain he was avoiding her just after her exams ended. But this time it was obvious. Unlike him just never being home anymore and always leaving early, his antics now were something cold and pinpoint. She could tell that she was being tossed aside, she could feel it in the read messages with no reply's and the missed calls with no returns.

At first, she thought she didn't mind as much. What she felt for him was small and simple, similar to when she first met him. His face was nice to look at…But he did also help her with her ex. She didn't know if she would have had the confidence to dump him had he not showed himself to be someone she could rely on…and then there's the fact that he helped her when she was drunk. He sounded so panicked too, the poor thing…she still didn't apologize for that kiss either. She needed to do that.

She grabbed her phone and pressed his name—HNH-nii san—ignoring all the red signs that trailed below the latest black one. HNH-nii san (red). HNH-nii san (red). HNH-nii san (red). And so on, and so on, and—

 _The number you are trying to reach —_

No biggie. She would just leave him a message. She switched to speaker and set the phone down before she went about wrapping the small gift she got him. It wasn't anything big—and she wasn't expecting anything in return either—just a tie that she thought would look both funny and good on him. It screamed platonic. A prank even, so she was sure he wouldn't even feel uncomfortable if–

 _The mailbox is currently full…Goode bye._

She smiled before putting the phone down and staring at her hands as they dwindled with her uneven nails then moved to a stray string from her sweater. She looked up, huffing against the cold wind and contemplated turning on the heater. Or maybe she could make some ramen, the spicy kind. It would warm her right up. But, for some reason, she couldn't get up. Or rather, she didn't want to. Her limbs were numb anyways.

She looked back at the phone whose screen was still on but dim. The only thing she saw was his saved name in red trailing down a white screen.

"He's ignoring me." She nodded before crying almost instantly. And try as she may she couldn't wipe at her face fast enough to stop her gross sobbing that followed. And slowly, everything got worse. "He's ignoring me…"

It was the middle of her first semester as a senior when she finally saw him again. It was dark out and they were both returning from a long day she supposed. Her because she had a big exam coming up and she didn't mind coughing up ten bucks to buy her and Sakura a meal if it meant that she got help with anatomy, and, judging by the red tint to his face and the uneven steps he took towards her, his long day was mostly due to drinking.

Looking at him now, after all this time, she wished she was also drunk. Because then she would have had the balls to tell him how she felt, to ask him about why he suddenly stopped talking to her. For months she thought it was something she did, something she said. She thought maybe her having developed a stupid crush on him was obvious and that it had bothered him to the point of him blocking her number. But she was sure that wasn't the case. Sure, she was usually easy to read, but she made a habit of hiding her crushes and its never failed her. She hardly ever successfully talked to any of them…save for him…

Was that why? Was she too ahead of herself? Was her talking to him what gave her away? She wasn't usually lucky in getting the chance to talk to the people she liked so maybe she acted differently whenever she was around him. Maybe her mask slipped up after all, and she stupidly gushed at him from behind it.

He nodded towards her when he finally saw her and she nodded back, realizing now that she was staring. She fumbled with her keys in her embarrassment and he passed by her, grazing her gently, carrying with him the scent of winter melting away, alcohol and her backpack that fell easily against the snag.

"Sorry." She said, stooping to pick up her things almost too fast. "I'm sorry."

"Wha—" he started, sighing as he slowly found his way to the wall. "What are you sorry for? I'm" he stressed this, hitting his chest enough to upset his balance. He sighed yet again and brought his hand to his head, running it through the dark tresses that sat sweaty against his forehead. "I'm drunk."

She stopped fumbling with her things some time ago in favor of watching this rare side of him unfold. The rosy tint to his cheeks, the half-lidded eyes, the unbalanced stance, all of it was new for her but possibly common to him. She wondered what his tolerance was. Hers was unusually strong but she liked to think it was because she was still so young. After all, it took a lot to get her…drunk…

The kiss! She needed to apologize.

"Neji-san, I–"

He wished he wasn't drunk. Because then he would have been able to carry on this conversation with her, or rather, hear it. It was like he was underwater, and everything was muffled. He was lucky he could read her lips when she apologized, but anything passed that he couldn't tell. He didn't see it. And It had been so long since he last seen _her_. He thought that not seeing her after a while would lessen his crush on her, but the moment he saw her he felt his heart press against his chest. It had been so long since he felt that, and honestly, it was suffocating. But in a good way. It's just…at the moment, feeling suffocated was not the best thing for him.

"Neji-san are you listening to me?"

"No, I'm not." He replied. "I'm too drunk I can barely hear you…can't read lips that fast like this either."

He looked at her, then at her things that she left on the ground and wondered why she would throw it all out like that. "You…you must be frustrated. Throwing your things like that."

"Huh?" she asked as she watched him lean forward in some attempt to grab her things.

"Don't throw your stuff just because your frustrated you brat." He grumbled a little louder this time just as he lost his balance and stumbled forward, pinning her to her door last minute. The sound of his heavy hands echoed in the still night and only she seemed to have heard him.

"I'm drunk." He sighed, leaning back, he looked at her again and felt his heart squeeze _**again**_. Seeing her this close, and after such a long time too, it couldn't have been good for his sanity. It was already bad enough that during the time he was too intoxicated to go home, he remembered her and imagined how she sounded. Was she warming up now since the snow was melting again? Was she willing to even talk to him anymore? How were her last classes? Does that douchebag of an ex still bother her? He could pretend to be dating her if she needed him to. He could do anything for her if she just needed him to. If she knew that that was all she had to do would she do it? Would she do anything with him? Talk to him? Touch him? Would she ever kiss him again?

"You said that already." She whispered.

Why did she do that?!

"'M sorry." He mumbled as he sunk further down till his head was resting on her shoulder. Before long, his arms gave out and he was putting all of his weight against her. He thought about moving. It would have been simple too, just one good push and he would be upright again. But he wasn't sure that he would be able to stay upright…or that he even wanted to in the first place.

"'M sorry."

Her arm moved, and he watched it as it froze then fell back to her side and gripped at her shirt. She moved again, this time freezing a little closer to him before finally moving forward and hovering just above him. He sighed, letting a breath he didn't know he was holding out just as her hand touched him. He felt her shiver against him and almost grabbed her to keep her still. But even drunk him knew better than to touch her any more than he already was.

"N-Neji san?"

"Hm?"

She gulped. He felt it. It was warm and quick for his delayed reaction. He moved closer to her, mumbling another apology that she didn't hear. He felt her pulse against his ear. He sighed again. And she shivered again.

"Were you ignoring me…ever since winter break it, um…it felt like you were, so…"

He was, but he was horrible at it. He still listened for her return, still watched her leave for classes, still thought about her whenever he had the time to, still hoped she was having a good day, still wanted to talk to her, almost did every time he saw her but she didn't see him. It was devastating. A real tragedy for him, the guy who was known for being cool, calm and collective 24/7. But all that changed when he met her that day…And now, oh now, he was caught. He played with fire out of curiosity and now he was burning up from the inside out all because of her.

And it didn't help that literally _nothing_ was working to help him forget her. Not the finger gun, not cutting her off cold turkey, not drinking to forget or spending time with people who were sure to get his thoughts off of her. Nothing!

Hell, today was the last time he was ever going to go drinking for some time. He was burned out on alcohol and burned out on the young gaggle that clung to him ever since he started drinking with them. He couldn't keep up with them, and after a few drinks he became generous believe it or not, and they always managed to get him to buy several rounds before the night was over. Sasuke did say he would pay him back but he was sure that he was only referring to his share, so he always turned down the offer. Besides, the guy was a forgetful drunk and never remembered promising anything he said during his drunken parades.

"Neji san?" He felt rather than saw her move and breathed in the scent of her shampoo hungrily, nearly burying his face into the crook of her neck. Her hand moved to the back of his head, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck and he growled before he could stop himself.

"N-Neji san!" She chirped, nearly shoving him away. But in her haste, she tightened her grip on his arms to steady him before leaning back again, pulling him with her till his head was resting against the wall above her. She stared at him then, sighing when he finally steadied again.

"Why?" he started.

She cocked her head. "Why?" she repeated. "Why what?"

He smiled, likening the action to that of puppy's. It was cute. She was cute. Why was she so cute? Why was she doing this to him.

"Why?" he repeated, sighing and leaning down again till he was face to face with her. "You're tall for a girl."

"Neji san what do you mean why?" she said, ignoring his drunken banter. "Why what?"

He studied her face, stared at her round eyes and her full lips. He kept his gaze there for a moment longer than he intended, licking his own, before finally looking back at her eyes and standing straight, turning with a sigh and a heavy hand raking through his hair.

"I'm drunk." He said as he fished for his keys. "I need to go to sleep."

"Neji san."

"I have work in the morning those damn brats. Always dragging me every which way. I'm going to make them pay me back for sure this time."

"Neji san."

"I need to go to sleep. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Ugh…this…I'm going to have a horrible headache tomorrow. Those little shits, always dragging me wherever. I'm going to make them pay me back this time. This time, I'm not going to just…just…shit! I'm drunk. I'm dru—"

"Neji san!"

He stopped, dropping his keys in shock then stared at them, sighing. He looked at her, embarrassed then moved to grab them but she beat him to them, taking them and holding them behind her back.

He sighed. "Give me my keys."

"Answer me."

"Tenten—"

"Why were you ignoring me?" she started, standing her ground and moving a little when he stepped closer. "Did I do something wrong? For you to just give me the cold shoulder so suddenly? Was it something I said? And what did you mean with that why earlier? Why what?"

He sighed. He was doing that a lot. But that was because he was tired. From having to explain himself, from having to ignore her, from always thinking of her, all of that! He was just tired. Too tired to fight anymore.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you won't talk to me!" she cried. Desperation dying her voice a tone he wasn't accustomed to. "I just wanted to know why—"

"Not that." He interrupted, before pinning her to the wall again, this time on purpose. He watched as she stiffened and looked away. Her face started to turn pink, her breathing was uneven and cool against his burning skin.

She's cute.

She's cute.

"Not that." He repeated.

She looked up at him. "T-then what?"

He stared at her a little longer, eyeing her lips again when he remembered—with a suddenness that shook him to the core—the all too familiar feel of her lips against his. It was a rushed kiss. It was an important kiss. The kind that he would never forget. The one he should return the favor for.

So, he did.

He kissed her. Not in the rushed, messy drunken kind of way she did when they barely knew each other, but in the slow, tantalizing way he's always wanted to do. The kind that made one weak in the knees if done right, that made _her_ weak in the knees because he _always_ does it right. When he finally broke from her, he was smiling, and she was standing there with her mouth agape and face as red as an apple.

"An eye for an eye." He hummed, patting her head. "Can I have my keys."

She nodded after some time, handing them to him in a rush before stooping to get her things and hurrying inside herself, and he just stood there, watching before finally sighing and heading in himself.

"I'm drunk." He said. "I'm sooooo drunk."


	3. Chapter 3

Pt. 3

Regret wasn't a strong enough word. Neither was any of its synonyms like remorse, shame, guilt, or sorrow. Self-condemnation and self-disgust were close but even those paled in comparison to what he felt come morning. He thought about not going to work and calling in sick just to avoid the slight possibility of running into her, but he really did have a lot of work to do. Plus, he didn't even know her schedule anymore. So, she could come home early or not even have to go to campus at all and he would still, inevitably, run into her.

He flicked his covers off of him then sat up and buried his face in his hands, gripping at the strands of hair that he could reach, and for a moment, he just sat there. He thought about taking his chances and staying home, but the moment he heard her muffled voice from behind the wall after something fell he knew that wasn't an option. He wouldn't be able to handle being this close to her if she really didn't have classes today. Still, he couldn't get ready and leave without her hearing. And that ran the risk of her coming out to meet him. Or worse, coming to him before he even walked out the door.

He sighed, throwing his fists in the air frantically like he was fighting the air or something before he fell back against his bed and stared at the ceiling. He gave himself just two more minutes. Two more minutes of listening for her door, her keys, her shoes, anything that told him she was leaving, and when neither sound came, and his two minutes were up, he stood and got ready for work, praying that lady luck was on his side.

She never was though. He was sure of that. Because the moment he stepped out, so did she.

"Neji san." She said, looking at him from the bottom up. "Good morning."

He nodded then turned, trying to leave but she caught him easily—and all it took was a soft touch, a graze to the arm that didn't even wrap around to a grab yet. He stiffened when she finally stepped forward, wrapping her arm around his for only a moment before he turned, and she finally let go.

He gulped.

"Can I get a ride…to class I mean? I'm running kind of late and the next bus would make me miss attendance."

He looked at her for a moment more before turning his head and clearing his throat. "Yeah. Sure…West campus, right?"

She smiled before flinging her backpack over her shoulder and closing her door behind her. "Yes please."

The drive was stifling. Neither of them talked and the atmosphere felt heavy with the tension. And he was sweating. He was sure it wasn't because of the heat—it was the end of the winter months and the skies were just barely warm enough to turn all the mush like snow into puddles of murky water—but because of his nervousness instead. She was sure to remember last night. Why wouldn't she. She wasn't the one who was drunk, he was, and he had an impeccable memory even while in that state, so he definitely remembered. But he wasn't going to say anything. And judging by the silence she gave him, neither was she.

"Can I tell you something?" She started suddenly, making him immediately take back what he thought before.

"…Sure." He said, turning to her in response.

"Promise you won't tell."

"Who am I going to tell?" he asked.

She stared at him for a couple of extra seconds before nodding and unbuckling her seat belt. "There's someone I like." She started, and his heart dropped. He felt it fall and sink further into the pool that unknowingly sat beneath it. He felt his body cool the further it sunk. Was it always this heavy? His heart? Was it always suspended above something so dangerous and by a thread as fragile as that one no less?

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked before he could stop himself.

She looked up at him with eyes of innocence, the kind that screamed trust as she stared at him in a kind of sibling like love he felt. "Because you're a guy…and what better person to ask than a guy himself."

"Ask about what?"

"I want to get to know him more. No! I want to…I want to start dating him…but he's older than me…and I'm not sure that he even likes me back."

He took in a heavy, unsteady breath then held it as he looked around the car, at the students that passed by him, at the birds that threatened to poop on his car if he stayed there any longer, at anything other than her. "I'm sure he likes you back." He finally said through clenched teeth.

"Really?"

He huffed, then loosened the grip he didn't know he had on the stirring wheel and fixed her with a forced smile after finally facing her. "Really." He started. "Why wouldn't he…I mean, you're an amazing girl. Smart, talented. You're easy to talk to even for some old guy like me."

"You're not that old."

"I'm going to be 31 this summer. I'm old…and yet you still managed to melt even my grumpy heart."—or rather, sink it into darkness— "Anyways, what I'm trying to say is…any guy would be lucky to have a girl like you. And if he has the gall to turn you down…then his loss."

She smiled, and he felt a pained cough crawl up his throat, so he looked away from it, refusing to bask in its glory for once. Especially since all it would do now is damage him even further. "Now go." He said, waving her off without looking her way. "You're going to be late."

"Thank you, Neji san." She hummed as she climbed out the car. He dared himself to look at her once more and he did. He stared at her as she quickly gathered herself, straightening her jacket and hair a little before she spared him one more glance and smiled again, closing the door. She waved at him and he waved back, keeping his arm and happy façade up just until she turned away.

He wheezed once she was gone and stared at the passing students with a blank look on his face, eyes darting sideways as he racked his brain for a reason, an explanation for what he just heard. But no matter how hard he tried, how far he dove to retrieve what had fallen, he couldn't find any reason other than the obvious; he was dumped. Dumped before anything even started. And for that reason alone, his heart continued to sink until he couldn't breathe right.

This wasn't right. He had no reason to be so upset. He had done worse to her. He had cut her off from his life before, sent her a message of not wanting her to be in his life long before she told him about some new unknown guy she supposedly built a crush on. Was her liking him even real. Was he even real?! Or was she saying this in the wake of his kiss to get it through to him that she was in no way interested in ever going anywhere romantically with him?

"Right." He sighed before looking for his keys, forgetting that they were in the ignition. "Right."

He turned the car on then sat there, one hand on the keys and the other on the steering wheel. His eyes darted from one side to the other as he fully took in his situation again. Slowly his head fell till it was resting on his white knuckles.

He was dumped.

"…Right…"

 _Just tell him_. She pondered on the words of her friends. For a while now, they have been the open books in which she pours her love life into. And the most recent chapter: One Neji Hyuga. He had caught her attention from the moment she met him outside in spring on their respective balcony's. He hadn't spoken much but his face, his voice, his demeanor…it was breathtaking. Honestly, at that time, she was glad he didn't try to continue the conversation since she was sure that his questions would only be answered with loose replies that either made no sense or made her out to be some kind of bubbling fool. And their second encounter hadn't been that great either so she was honestly surprised with how close they seemed now despite all that happened before. So surprised…that she thought she had a chance.

"But he's older than me."

 _Fuck it._ Her friends would say.

"We'll have nothing in common."

 _Then make something happen. No better time to start then after you bag him._

"What if he has a girlfriend?"

 _I'd feel bad if he does with the way he handles you._

"What if he turns me down."

 _Then he turned you down. The worst that could happen is he tells you no. At least then you'll know to give up and get on with your life._

"I'm starting to think that you're not that interested in me possibly going out with him."

 _He's a man approaching his thirties who works at this large and powerful place that's obviously thirsting after a girl whose barely able to drink. Of course, I'm not too excited about this._ They answered.

 _But…he is respectful. He hasn't tried to push himself on you or anything. Hell, if anything, he was trying to stay away from you after realizing how bad this may look…but YOU kept on coming. So…if you're going to insist on being this persistent, then who's to stop you._

She smiled, nodding as she got off the bus and started for her apartment. All day she had been thinking about what to do. How was she going to go about asking him out? Sure, it may be obvious, but the thought of confessing and him being completely blown away—and not in the good way—by it was terrifying. And aside from that possibly embarrassing moment, there was one other pressing issue with her; How does one confess to an adult. Given she was also one too, the ever pressing differences in their age/generation/lifestyles made confessing hard. The usual high school method was for sure out of the picture, but telling him out in the public where she's sure her voice would grow twelve times as loud at least was also not an option.

She rounded the corner, pausing once she saw that all too familiar car sitting in the parking lot, and before she knew it, her feet started to move again. She took small, uncertain steps at first that quickly became an all-out sprint as she made her way to the complex. All those thoughts she had before, her uncertainty, her friend's advice, their outward reluctance to helping her any with this one, gone the moment she thought that he might be home early.

He heard her approach. Her frantic steps and heavy breathing hand him sitting upright and alert, but the long pause she took in front of his door made him calm down. It wasn't serious. She wasn't dying or being chased…she was fine. She was just standing outside of his apartment complex in a frenzy, trying to catch her breath. Maybe it was starting to rain and she was trying to get home before it began to pour, and on the way up she remembered something she wanted to tell him. Or, with his luck, ask him, considering her "having a crush and all".

He didn't want to let her in. He was sure seeing her at this moment wasn't going to do him any good, but he knew that she knew he was home, and running away was not something he was keen on doing—from personal experience. So, he stood and waited by the door, listened to the sound of her trying to catch her breath.

Sighing, he laid his head on the door and tried to steady his self, his emotions. He wasn't usually so bothered and easy to read, but he feared that the hold she had on him had changed him. His subordinates, his friends, even the security guard at the front of the complex, all of them could tell that he wasn't okay recently. All because of her. She caused him to let his guard down—and all form just a smile—she made him weak and not just to her but to everyone around him. And it was too late to try and go back. Her spell was caste, he drunk the potion, the cure was nowhere to be found…and he was trapped until further notice.

He wondered if he would ever be free again, if she would ever let him go…

He opened the door, no longer having the patience to wait for her to knock., surprising her into silence and for a moment, they stood there in it.

"…Hi." She said lamely, tucking her now useless hand behind her.

He nodded. "I heard you standing out here." He sighed, leaning against the door frame. "Is there something you need?"

"Um…yeah." She said, biting her lip. Why did she have to bite her lip? "Can I come in?"

He stepped aside, forcing himself to forget the fact that she has never been in his place before, and watched as she gingerly walked in. She moved slowly. She took off her shoes slowly, she walked to the room slowly, she placed her things down slowly. Everything was just too slow!

"Your home is nice." She said.

Small talk. Usually he was up for small talk, especially with her. But at the moment, he was far too deep in his own pity to even want to try anything. So, he pretended to not hear her and took a beeline for the kitchen area.

"I don't have anything much to offer for drinks." He started, trying to at least _play_ his card at hospitality. "Is water fine?"

"Yes. Water's fine." She called from further in the room.

Upon hearing her, he looked up and nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw her sitting prettily on his bed. He took a moment to calm himself and to save the picture in his mind for later before approaching her and sitting on the other side.

Why he didn't invest in some chairs, he didn't know, but now he was regretting being frugal with his money. Now he was stuck sitting next to the woman who inadvertently checked him before he even had the chance to set the board.

He looked at her, took the time to really see all of her. Her hair was plastered to her forehead from the humidity, her eyes were wide and alert despite there obviously being nothing to worry about…her skin was still sun kissed, more than his will ever be, her hair was up for once in two tightly wrapped buns on either side of her head, her limbs still long and beautiful—he still wanted to have them wrapped around him.

He was still under her spell…and he may be for a much longer time than he would ever be prepared for. So, he accepted defeat. He was probably forever going to be a slave to her.

"Can I ask you something. It's really important." She said suddenly

He laughed, seeing where this was going. "Is this about the guy you said you liked? Have you not asked him out yet?"

Her eyes widened—something he thought was not possible—and her hand shot up to tuck hair that wasn't there behind her ear. Blushing and blinking 20 miles per minute, she looked away from him before covering her red cheeks with her palms, pushing them up and, inadvertently pursing her lips.

He swallowed his spit but forced himself to look on. Who knows when he'll ever be able to see something as cute as this again.

"It's just…" she started, "I just wanted to check with you on something…before I do it."

"What?"

She looked up at him, keeping her hands against her cheeks and further taking hold of his heart. By now she had a replaced her vice grip with a lock and key—a lot less effort, you know—where the key was tucked delicately between her breasts, a place he both wanted to and didn't want to reach for. She had him around her finger so tightly that it was turning blue, but she didn't care.

"You said…you said that any guy would be lucky to have a girl like me, right?"

Lucky until they realized the kind of trouble they got themselves into, yes. Honestly, she had so many things he liked about her but each and every one of those things would only make him, and any other guy unlucky enough to like her, fall deeper and deeper into the pits of their own souls. Their only chance at survival being a silver string of a chance at getting her to recuperate your feelings.

"Yes, I did."

"Well, what makes you so sure?"

"Because I would have been." He thought.

"Because you're you…and you do such a great job at being you that it's no wonder people just gather around you. Everything about you deserves to be loved, to be favored…and if anyone thinks otherwise then"—then you can come to me…and I'll love you harder than anyone ever will— "then they are missing out on one of the happiest moments of their lives"— because everything about you sends chills down my spine as it should do to all who find themselves lucky enough to have seen you— "Tenten, there's nothing for you to worry about"—because you're perfect in every way possible—"Just trust in yourself,"—be happy—"be confident, and just…confess."

She watched him as he spoke, eyes slowly getting brighter as she listened. A smile played at her lips and he begged her silently every time it did to not surface, and, thankfully, it never did. For some reason, she held back her smile and settled with looking away again. She thanked him quietly, for lack of anything better to say—he figured it was because of how cheesy his words sounded since even he was taken aback by them—and for a while they sat in silence.

"What's this guy like anyway?" He suddenly asked. The silence was killing him from the inside out, telling him about how she was uncomfortable and now wanting to leave. But he didn't want her to leave. Despite his recent heartbreak, he was still hers in theory. "I hope he's not some douche like your last boyfriend."

She laughed then, the sound bubbling around him and almost making him laugh himself. "He's not." She started with a fire in her voice. She sounded more confident, so at least his little embarrassing speech did something.

"He's really sweet and very mature…I don't know it just feels like…. if we get together, he'll be different from everyone else."

"…That's good." He lied, missing the way she watched him. "I wonder who he is…getting such good praise from you."

She smiled. "It's you."

…

…

…

He didn't know how much time passed—two, no three minutes maybe—since she said that or since he last breathed. He also didn't know if he heard her right but he stared at her anyways and tried to decipher what it was he was trying to tune out just before.

"What?"

"It's you."

"You're…" he started as he searched her, watching for signs of a lie, something that was going to make him stop—and possibly move away and never look back at this horrible experience where he got dumped then embarrassed by his next door neighbor who he had a huge crush on. "You're not lying…are you?"

She shook her head, laughing even as the blush formed on her face. "I'm not."

" _You_ like _me_?"

She nodded again.

"Me?" He asked again.

She laughed. "You're acting like there's something horribly wrong with you…is there?"

He shook his head and she laughed at the image it brought before they fell into silence. She wanted to say something to break it, but one look at him and she was back to blushing away on her side of his bed. And it didn't help that he was staring at her, not saying anything…just… _staring_ , like she had just said something ridiculous.

Was she sure?

"So…" He started, still staring, never once looking away. She tried to look at him as he spoke but his gaze was still too much for her. She didn't know if she would ever get used to it.

"So…" she mimed, biting at her lip, missing the way his eyes followed the motion. "If you'll have me…then, we can start…start…"

"Dating." He finished with a smile. "If you'll have me…then I'm all yours."

It started out slowly. Like the change from summer to fall that brought the changing leaves, dying in all their splendor before falling into the puddles beneath them. Like the breezes that once tainted the sky with heat and sweat and unkept promises of clouds heavy with rain that now coolly reminded them of the deathly cold threat that winter will be. Like the time it takes the children, in their rainboots, walking beside their mothers/sisters/grandmothers, to contemplate the jump that was sure to follow whenever they came across a puddle on the street. Slow like the feel of her hands listlessly drifting through his hair as she read up on an article for class, like the rise and fall of his chest as he pretended to sleep when he was really watching her, waiting for her to inevitably give up and collapse on his chest like she usually does. Just slow. But just right.

"You've been reading that same page for over five minutes." He started, shaking her out of the trance she was falling into for the fourth time thus far. Instantly, her hand stopped and she was staring at him like he had just kicked a puppy. "Just quit."

She scoffed. "Look at you? A whole adult telling an up and coming one to just quit. You know my professor asks about these articles in class."

He nodded before taking her phone and putting it somewhere to the side. "But it's something about my family's business. Why read about it when you can just ask the person directly?"

"Maybe because I don't know what the article was about to be asking you directly." She said before allowing him to pull her down to the bed beside him. "Give me back my phone."

"No."

She sighed but gave up anyways and slid closer to him. "Fine! Then wake me up in an hour."

"Hm."

"Hm." She repeated, before slowly falling asleep. And like the slow changing of the seasons and the easy smile that spreads across her face whenever she sees him, her breathing matched the rhythm of his and she fell asleep happily smiling while he lay beside her softly running his hands through her hair and taking in the silence of the room around them.

Everything, the way she felt against him, the subtle signs of her being in his life, and the sound of her breathing echoing in time with the ticking of a clock in his otherwise quit room, was all so simple…like them.

Just simple.


End file.
